Bvlgari Octo Finissimo Carbongold Perpetual Calendar & Automatic

article 31 Oct 2023

Bvlgari, again, revisits the rulebook with the Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Automatic and the Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Perpetual Calendar. Two milestones in Bvlgari’s relentless quest for finesse, crowned by 8 records since 2014, are changing the game: the Octo Finissimo Automatic (2017 record) and the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar (2021 record) are reborn in high-tech anthracite carbon, offset by luxurious touches of gold. Bvlgari first presented this norm-defying blend of materials and textures in 1993 – an innovation made possible by the brand’s unique ability to envision materials from a “watchmaking jeweler’s” perspective. Objects of rarity, the Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Automatic and the Octo Finissimo CarbonGold Perpetual Calendar redefine the rules of modern horology – a stroke of style and innovation, a daring statement on the timeline of watchmaking.

Shaking up art and matter

Expertly versed in smithing gold, but also in working with high-tech materials such as titanium and ceramics, Bvlgari excels in surprising and original associations. The Maison was among the first to create jewellery watches in steel, notably with the Tubogas bracelet. Then, in a feat of finesse, the Octo Finissimo explored the technical and aesthetic possibilities of platinum, yellow and rose gold, titanium, ceramics and, of course, steel, with surfaces at times polished, brushed polished or matte, even monochromatic.

With the new Octo Finissimo CarbonGold watches, with small seconds or a perpetual calendar, Bvlgari combines gold with carbon – for a wildly different take on chic look and feel. The case, strap and dial are made of extremely lightweight, anthracite-coloured carbon with a matte finish. The golden display elements and the crown, crafted in gold, offer a luxurious contrast against this high-tech backdrop. The blend of materials dates back to 1993, an invitation to explore the potential of new alloys and associations.

Italian flair, Swiss ultra-slimness

Architectural in its foundations, the Octo Finissimo makes the roundness of the bezel work with the octagonal structure of the watch face, which echoes throughout the design. Taut lines stand out in measured majesty – the Bvlgari style! Its extreme finesse embodies the extraordinary watchmaking expertise of the Manufacture, which time and again has proved capable of rethinking deeply ingrained codes only to push their boundaries. The Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar, which won the coveted Aiguille d’Or prize at the Grand prix d’horlogerie de Genève (the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix) in 2021, set the Maison’s 7th record for slimness. Redesigned from the ground up, Bvlgari’s calibre BVL 305 gives the watch an incredible profile of only 2.75mm. In this new carbon version, the ultra-thin classic perpetual calendar complication – requiring no adjustment before 2100 – takes on a resolutely contemporary look.

The Estetica della Meccanica, the ‘aesthetic of mechanics’, cultivated by Bvlgari also shows in the transparent caseback of the Octo Finissimo CarbonGold: held in place by eight precious metal screws, like micro-sunbursts on the carbon surface, it reveals vibrant contrasts, with the Côte de Genève-decorated rose gold bridges and oscillating weight forged from rose gold-plated platinum. A unique, daring aesthetic with an edgy, technical impact. In the truest style